John Torrese Sr

John Torrese Sr., Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame driver and the patriarch of Oswego Speedway ownership since 2011, passed away yesterday at the age of 93. Always seen with a welcoming smile at Oswego Speedway, “Pops” was a regular fixture at the Speedway in recent years – whether surveying the pit area on the “Steel Palace” golf cart with sons John Torrese Jr. and Eric Torrese, or watching the action from his familiar seat in the Speedway’s VIP tower with family and friends – Torrese always had an eye on the action at the Port City oval.
In a relatively short Oswego driving career, Torrese was a force to be reckoned with, collecting four main event wins with two top five finishes in Speedway points in 1952 and 1953.
Always a versatile driver, Torrese was one of a select few to have won at Oswego Speedway on both the dirt and asphalt surfaces in the early 1950’s.
In recognition of these accomplishments, during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Speedway in 2000, Torrese was named one of the Speedway’s Top 50 drivers of all-time.
A 2011 inductee into Oswego Speedway’s Hall of Fame, Torrese carried a love of the Speedway that was passed to his children, in particular son John Jr. who himself would become a veteran of Supermodified action at the “Steel Palace.”
That love and passion for Oswego Speedway reached a pinnacle in 2011 as the Torrese family became the third era in ownership of the famed Oswego oval and has since returned the historic speed plant to a marquee name in motorsports across the country.